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Malcolm Croxton of Torrance (in orange shirt) finally received his burned up Jaguar E-Type that was caught up in a brush fire along the Cajon Pass on I-15 a few months ago. Jaguar at right is his also. Aug. 18, 2015. (Brad Graverson / Staff Photographer)

Still, Croxton was surprisingly upbeat when he finally laid his eyes on the classic car.

“It’s still restorable,” he said. “There’s some trauma and damage, but nothing that can’t be fixed. In a way I haven’t seen anything yet that has really disappointed me. I’m a bit positive about it. There’s nothing on it that’s broken, damaged or melted that can’t be repaired or replaced or made as good as new.”

Croxton estimated it could take twice as long — up to 18 months — and twice as much money as expected to bring the car up to an acceptable condition.

And now there is a sense of urgency as well. Which is why Croxton paid $3,387 in cash for storage and transportation fees to get the low-slung British sports car back in his driveway while insurance companies dicker over who is responsible for the damage to the Jaguar and seven another expensive cars the rig was carrying when it was overtaken by flames.

“I want to expedite the process,” he said. “I know that water has probably got in the engine and if I don’t get that water flushed out and the engine doesn’t turn over I’m going to have to rebuild the engine as well, which will be another $5,000 to $7,000. So I want the car in my driveway and then we will sort out who is responsible for paying what.”

In yet another ugly twist to the story, Croxton is unsure whether the transportation company that hauled the car to Southern California was insured, as federal law requires.

The company claims it has insurance, and its insurance agent claims the load was insured. And yet, the underwriter Croxton has spoken with claims it can find no evidence of any insurance policy.

Which means Croxton could well see no compensation at all for the fire damage that will complicate the restoration. The native Brit has restored five E-Type Jaguars so far; but the sixth will be the most challenging.

“I give them what I call a shave and a haircut,” he said. “I get them looking nice, I get them running nice, but everything is not perfect. … I’m not absolutely anal about the restoration. I’d rather have a driver’s car you can use.

“This was a shave and haircut car, now it’s a brain and a lung transplant car,” Croxton added. “This will take a lot more (work).”

And, sadly, the car was not from the 1961 model year he had hoped it might turn out to be.

If it had been manufactured during what was the iconic sports car’s first year of production, its value could have been hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Instead, Croxton has discovered it was built in June 1962, a month after the introduction of a crucial design change — a two-inch drop in the floor to make it easier for drivers to reach the pedals. Had it been built in May 1962 with the original floor design, the Jaguar could have been valued at $100,000 more when restored.

“They only made 170, so for collectors that’s the one,” Croxton said. “It would have been a bonus.”

Yet, even that last bit of bad news didn’t deter Croxton. What color, he was asked, will he eventually paint the car?

“I won’t be doing charcoal,” he quipped. “I won’t be putting flames on it. … I won’t be doing burnt orange either. That’s all I can tell you.”

The planned restoration may well be put on hold for a while anyway.

Croxton is about 90 percent of the way through restoring a baby blue E-Type Jaguar, which is the same color as one he had at age 22.

Veteran journalist Nick Green is the beat reporter for the cities of Torrance, Carson and Lomita and also covers the South Bay's rapidly growing craft beer industry for the Daily Breeze. He has worked for newspapers on the West Coast since graduating in 1987 from the University of Washington and lives in Old Torrance with his wife and two cats. Follow him on Twitter @NickGreen007 and @BeerGogglesLA.